This invention relates to elevators for use in commercial aircraft having multiple cabin levels and, more particularly relates to a personnel elevator that will carry passengers and personnel between the cabin levels of the aircraft as well as to and from ground level outside the aircraft.
With the advent of large commercial aircraft, particularly those having multiple cabin levels, it has become desirable to provide an elevator system for moving passengers and personnel between the cabin levels of the aircraft. In the case of an aircraft for government officials or other public figures, it is also desirable to provide the aircraft with access and egress means that not only quickly move the VIP passenger between ground level and the inside of the aircraft, but that also protects the VIP from danger from potential assassins. Up until now, in executive-type aircraft, the passengers have boarded by climbing up a stairway from ground level up into the passenger door of the aircraft. This exposes them to potential crowd problems for some period of time and poses a real problem to security forces trying to protect the individual passengers. Also, in the case of a political or other public figure who is an invalid or handicapped in some way, it is difficult for such passenger to climb the ramp to enter the aircraft.
While certain multilevel aircraft have dumbwaiters and foodcarrying lifts that move between cabin levels of the aircraft to move food and dishes from a galley at one level to passengers at another level, the use of an elevator for moving personnel and passengers between decks is believed to be novel.